News : Iranian opposition

INU - Sources inside the Iranian regime claim that the regime’s diplomat, Assadollah Assadi, recently arrested in Germany for masterminding the plot to bomb the meeting of National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Paris on June 30th, is the Iranian Intelligence station chief in Vienna.

Quoting those sources, the People’s Mojahedin Organization (PMOI/MEK) of Iran have highlighted a report on the integral role of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) station in Vienna on the matter. The report states that the station in Vienna coordinates MOIS activities in Europe, and is based on information obtained by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) from sources of inside the Iranian regime.

The intelligence station is located on the third floor of the regime’s embassy in Vienna, according to the report. Regarding the choice of Austria, a former embassy official who returned to Tehran from Austria said, “The relationship between the Austrian government and the government of Iran is very widespread, but low key”.

Iran has many representative offices in Austria, including the embassy, Imam Ali’s Islamic Center, the representative office of the Supreme Leader, a cultural center, representative of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, Iran Air airline office, the representative of OPEC, and the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the report. It also quotes an Iran Air executive who commented about the intelligence station at the regime’s embassy in Vienna, saying “Austria has a central role for the MOIS in the European countries. The MOIS agents have no problem traveling to Austria. Iran Air also provides them with special facilities. The Iranian embassy in Vienna facilitates their activities”.

The report alleges that Assadi was tasked as coordinator of the regime’s agents in Europe. He was arrested in Germany on charges of plotting to bomb near the Iranian opposition gathering at Villepinte north of Paris. He is currently facing extradition to Belgium.However, the Iranian regime is attempting to get him transferred to Austria, where he has diplomatic immunity, and subsequently have him return to Iran.

Iranian President Rouhani was scheduled to visit Vienna in March 2016, and according to reports from inside the regime, at that time Assadi ordered agents to gather information about local Iranian expatriates and refugees who were protesting against the visit.

The report reveals that Asadollah Assadi was also in contact with the network of agents of IRGC and Quds Force in Europe. Moustafa Roudaki, the former chief of the station in Austria, returned to Iran in 2014, and was deployed to Albania in 2017 to act against members of the PMOI/MEK who had been relocated to that country. Official Albanian reports say that a major terrorist plot against the MEK in Albania was defused in March 2018.

By placing MOIS stations in embassies, the regime’s facilities for the intelligence and terrorist activities of the MOIS and Quds Force in European countries are at their disposal, according to the report.

The Foreign Intelligence Organization, tasked with the regime’s espionage and terrorist activities abroad, is one of the most important parts of the MOIS. In cooperation with the Foreign Ministry and the embassies in Europe, it has carried out numerous terrorist attacks over the years.